Prince Harry & Meghan Markle: Their Wedding, Marriage & More

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which took place on 19th May 2018, was undoubtedly one of the biggest celebrations of the decade – and to say we at Hitched HQ were a little obsessed at the time is an understatement.

Since the couple chose to step down from their senior royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan have been living in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. Their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey and Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which aired in December 2022, revealed even more about their lives past and present. The couple even chose to share more details of their wedding day.

“All I wanted was a mimosa, a croissant and, uh, to play the song Going to the Chapel. And that’s what I did. And it was great,” Meghan recalls when asked how she felt on that life-changing morning.

From the outfits to the first dance, we revelled in every little detail of their wedding day – so if you’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers.

We’ve also rounded up everything else you need to know about the famous couple, from their first meeting to their life as working royals – and even the duchess’s new lifestyle brand, As Ever.

Everything You Need to Know About Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

From Harry and Meghan’s wedding date to the engagement interview – and even those split rumours, here’s the lowdown…

How did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry meet?

We all thought that Harry and Meghan first met on Friday 1st July 2016, when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. However, the couple later revealed in their documentary that they were set up after Harry spotted a picture of Meghan on a pal’s Instagram feed – complete with Snapchat dog filter!

Meghan was in London promoting the latest season of her TV series, Suits, while Harry had just returned from France where he had been helping to commemorate 100 years since the battle of the Somme. The pair headed to Dean Street Townhouse for drinks, where Meghan was staying at the time.

Things evidently went very well – in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: The Engagement Interview later shown on the BBC, Harry admitted that he fell for Meghan “so incredibly quickly” and commented that it felt like “the stars were aligned” for their future relationship.

One thing that does remain a mystery, however: who set Harry and Meghan up on their first date? While it was rumoured to be Violet Von Westenholz, a close family friend of Harry’s and friend of Meghan’s through her work as a PR exec at Ralph Lauren, it was never confirmed.

When did Harry and Meghan get engaged?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially announced their engagement to the public on 27th November 2017, however, the exact date of the proposal in November is unknown. It’s a cute proposal story, though!

The couple revealed that Harry got down on one knee earlier that month during a “cosy night in” at their home at the time – Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace – while the couple were roasting a chicken.

Despite all the speculation around their relationship, Harry said that he was still able to surprise Meghan – and she said yes before he’d even got the words out!

“It was so sweet and natural, and very romantic,” Meghan said at the time.

The Queen, Prince Charles (as he was at the time), Prince William and Kate all welcomed Meghan into the family with congratulatory messages straight after the announcement.

Did Meghan Markle change her engagement ring?

It seems much thought went into Meghan’s original engagement ring – Harry revealed that he designed the ring himself and had it made by Cleave & Company, the Queen’s personal jeweller at the time.

He also went on to reveal his inspiration in an interview with the BBC, saying: “The ring is obviously yellow gold because it’s her favourite. And the main stone itself is from Botswana. And the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection, to make sure she’s with us on this crazy journey together.” Sweet!

The ring has undergone a few changes since then, though you’d need to look closely to spot them. Instead of a plain gold band, the ring now features a row of diamonds, a decision allegedly made by Prince Harry.

According to royal biographers, Harry wanted the ring to match the eternity band bought for his wife as a first anniversary present. It was also stated that Harry, Meghan and son Archie’s birthstones are featured on the underside of the ring.

Where did Harry and Meghan get married?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchanged their wedding vows on 19th May 2018, at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle, a spot described by a palace spokesperson as “a very special place” for the couple.

The reported cost of the royal wedding was estimated at £32million, and was the biggest royal celebration since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.   

However, in their Netflix docuseries, Prince Harry and Meghan later revealed that they’d had a small, private garden ceremony three days ahead of their extravagant royal wedding in Windsor, with only the Archbishop of Canterbury present.

Thinking you might like to swing by? St George’s Chapel is open to visitors and is included as part of a Windsor Castle ticket.

What music did Harry & Meghan have at their wedding?

The couple also openly discussed their music choices in their docuseries, with Harry revealing that King Charles actually played quite a significant role in the planning. He went on to explain that his father helped them to source the orchestra, as well as support their ground-breaking choice to have a gospel choir: 

“There wasn’t too much pushback on that,” he said. “Everyone was like, ‘gospel choir – wonderful idea. That’s great.’ And again, more help from my dad on that one.”

Meghan also revealed that they had chosen people from different gospel choirs and brought them together to create a new group called The Kingdom Choir.

“The whole ceremony was something quite unique,” added Meghan’s wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller, who also featured in the series. “The gospel choir… that had never been part of a royal wedding before.”

Who walked Meghan Markle down the aisle?

Meghan began her long walk down the aisle of St George’s Chapel alone, before being met part-way with her soon-to-be father-in-law, King Charles. She discusses this in the Netflix series, explaining her decision:

“Harry’s dad is very charming. I said to him, like, I’ve lost my dad in this. So, him – as my father-in-law – was really important to me. I asked him to walk me down the aisle and he said yes. The whole thing was surreal.”

What song did Meghan walk down the aisle to?

Meghan walked down the aisle to Eternal Source of Light Divine by German-British composer George Frideric Handel, a song that was chosen by Harry. It was performed by Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas.

Where was Harry & Meghan’s wedding reception?

The couple’s wedding reception took place at St George’s Hall in Windsor, where the likes of Elton John, Oprah Winfrey, Idris Elba and Serena Williams partied with the newlyweds to celebrate their big day.

As the pair didn’t marry in central London, the public missed out on the traditional Buckingham Palace balcony kiss that we witnessed with Kate and Wills. However, in exclusive photos revealed in the Netflix docuseries, it looks like Harry and Meghan did their own take, with a sweet private balcony kiss within St George’s Hall.

What was Harry & Meghan’s first dance song?

Stressing in their Netflix docuseries that they wanted their wedding to be "fun", the couple revealed their first dance song as being Wilson Pickett’s Land of 1,000 Dances. Exclusive photos showed the couple dancing wildly, with Harry tipping Meghan back, the pair throwing their arms over their heads and linking hands and spinning in a really joyful display.

Who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress?

Meghan’s iconic silk-crepe wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director at Givenchy.

Meghan opted for a traditional look for her Windsor ceremony, with a dreamy bateau neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s wedding dress. She paired her gown with a tiara and 15ft silk cathedral-length veil.

In the documentary, the designer reflected on her conversations with Meghan about how the dress would be seen by billions of people around the world and how, “it has to be flawless; it has to be perfect”.

She definitely delivered – Meghan’s wedding dress is one of the most iconic royal wedding dresses we’ve ever seen!

Did Meghan Markle have a second wedding dress?

Meghan revealed her second wedding dress – a gorgeous silk halterneck by British designer Stella McCartney – as she headed to the couple’s private evening reception. She teamed it with diamond and white gold earrings, white court shoes and a chic chignon.

What crown did Meghan Markle wear at her wedding?

The tiara that Meghan Markle wore for her ceremony was Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara, though according to reports, it wasn’t her first choice.

Meghan was said to have originally fallen in love with an emerald and diamond design – later worn by Princess Eugenie at her wedding to Jack Brooksbank – but was declined permission to wear it by the late Queen because of some controversy about how it had made the royal collection in the first place.

Did Meghan Markle have bridesmaids?

Meghan didn’t have a maid of honour when she married Prince Harry, although her pals Priyanka Chopra and stylist Jenna Mulroney were both hotly tipped to take on the role. The Palace later revealed that Meghan simply couldn’t make up her mind about which friend she wanted to choose (we hear ya, Megs!).

Meghan apparently encountered the same problem when it came to selecting her bridesmaids, so instead of choosing between her close-knit circle of friends, she decided to have the children of close friends and family instead. This included Princess Charlotte, Ivy Mulroney, Meghan’s goddaughters Remi and Rylan Litt, and Prince Harry’s goddaughters, Zalie Warren and Florence van Cutsem.

Who was Prince Harry’s best man?

In a break from tradition, Prince Harry asked his brother, Prince William, to be his best man.

Royals don’t typically have a best man at the wedding ceremony – this role is more officially known as a ‘supporter’. However, Prince William was the first to break this tradition at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011 when he appointed Harry as his best man. Nice to see him returning the favour!

Who was at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding?

The royal wedding guest list featured a whole host of A-list celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, George and Amal Clooney, the Beckhams, Sofia Wellesley and James Blunt, Julia Carey and James Corden, as well as well-known faces and close friends of Meghan’s, including Priyanka Chopra and Janina Gavankar.

The guest list of 800 people was relatively small compared to that of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, who welcomed 1,900 friends, family and dignitaries from around the world.

Who made Meghan’s wedding cake?

Meghan and Harry’s wedding cake – a delectable lemon and elderflower creation – was made by East-London baker Claire Ptak of Violet Cakes. It’s reported that Meghan had known Claire for some years prior to her wedding to Harry, having interviewed her for her blog at the time, The Tig. 

The beautiful yet modest design featured a two-tier and two single tiered cakes laden with peach and white garden roses and peonies.

Is Meghan Markle a princess?

According to British peerage rules, Meghan couldn’t become a princess through marriage. Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was given her title by the media – not royalty – which means 'Princess Meghan' is officially off the cards.

Diana’s official title was ‘Diana, Princess of Wales’, which is a title her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton has now inherited through her marriage to William, now the Prince of Wales (a title typically given to the eldest son of the reigning monarch).

What titles did Harry and Meghan receive after the wedding?

By tradition, male members of the royal family receive a title from the King or Queen on their wedding day, and the Duke of Sussex is the vacant title that Harry received, making Meghan the Duchess of Sussex. If Harry had chosen to turn down a title and stick with his princedom, Meghan would have become Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales (Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David).

However, in a much talked-about decision, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their senior royal duties in January 2020, meaning they can no longer use their HRH titles. They are, however, still known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Harry is still fifth in line to the throne.

What’s the difference between a royal wedding and a state wedding?

A royal wedding, like Harry and Meghan’s, is exactly how it sounds – a wedding that involves a member of the royal family and royal traditions. A state wedding, on the other hand, is the marriage of a head of state or other dignitaries.

While royal weddings typically take place in royal residences or historic venues such as Westminster Abbey, a state wedding might occur in a more public setting, such as a cathedral or state building.

Where are Harry and Meghan today?

Since making the decision to step back from their senior royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan made the move to Montecito, California with their son, Archie, where they went on to have their daughter Lilibet in 2021.

As working royals, the couple have since launched several commercial ventures, including their media company, Archewell Productions alongside the non-profit Archewell charitable foundation. In March 2024, the Duchess of Sussex launched her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, which she later renamed ‘As Ever’.

The first drop of products included a range of kitchen treats – everything from jam and honey to tea and baking mixes. 

Meghan has also worked on a number of podcasts, including her series Archetypes, which saw the duchess in conversation with other women in the public eye, and her latest series with Lemonada Media called Confessions of a Female Founder.

The power couple also use their platform to shed light on important global issues, including mental health and supporting Afghan women in the US.

Earlier this year, the media reported on rumours that the couple were set to split – but it didn’t take long for Palace insiders and sources close to the duke and duchess to dismiss the speculation.

Where do Harry and Meghan live?

Harry and Meghan swapped the UK for the US when they moved to Montecito, California, in 2020. The neighbourhood is full of secluded hillside estates owned by the likes of Oprah, Tom Cruise and Ellen DeGeneres, so privacy was undoubtedly a huge draw for the pair.

According to TMZ, the couple spent £11.2 million on the property, which covers five acres of land. The house has nine bedrooms and sixteen bathrooms, and is rumoured to have an additional separate guest house alongside a library, office, spa, gym, games room, wine cellar and garage with space for up to five cars.

It comes as no surprise that Harry and Meghan’s wedding was voted one of the best UK celebrity weddings in the past 25 years by Hitched users – find out who else made the list!